Advocates Take to Airwaves to Extend Millionaire's Tax

New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, an advocacy group dedicated to mitigating some of the harshest cuts in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budget, is out today with a radio ad targeting the governor and lawmakers over the millionaire’s tax.

The ad, which is set to air in New York City and the state’s major metropolitan regions, ties Cuomo to the Committee to Save New York, the business group which has tried to counter the power of the state’s unions.

The script of the ad is as follows:

“Governor Andrew Cuomo says New York’s budget crisis demands we all sacrifice for the good of the state. Well, Governor Cuomo doesn’t really mean all of us. While pushing to balance the budget solely by cutting essential services that provide care and help to the elderly, the mentally and physically challenged and working families, the governor wants to give $5 billion in tax cuts to the wealthiest New Yorkers, tax breaks that will compound New York’s fiscal situation and only benefit the wealthiest 3% of taxpayers. It means while all of us are struggling to shoulder our share of the governor’s burden, his special interests–the Wall Street bankers, real estate tycoons and ultra-rich business owners who make up his Committee to Save New York will get a great big tax break. It’s not right and it’s not fair. Call Governor Cuomo today and tell him to stop benefitting his rich friends at the expense of the people. Now is not the time for tax cuts for the super-rich.”

New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness is an umbrella group of several social justice organizations and unions, including the state’s teachers union, Citizen Action and the Alliance for Quality Education.

Support for extending a tax on the state’s upper income earners has support in polls, and appears to have growing support in the legislature, with even a number of Republican lawmakers signalling that they are interested in it.